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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Ronaldo continues to score on international stage as Scotland clash approaches

Scotland is gearing up for an exciting clash against Portugal at Hampden Park this Tuesday, with the national stadium completely sold out.

The high demand for tickets despite a pretty dire run of form reflects the anticipation of fans eager to catch a glimpse of Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues to make headlines in international football as he edges closes to 40.

Ronaldo showcased his exceptional talent throughout Portugal's 3-1 victory over Poland on Saturday night.

The 39-year-old star played a pivotal role during the UEFA Nations League match in Warsaw, scoring his 133rd international goal.

He netted the second goal for Portugal in the 37th minute, following a swift move where Rafael Leao's shot hit the post, allowing Ronaldo to pounce on the rebound.

(Image: UEFA)


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Earlier in the match, Ronaldo nearly found the net with a clever flick that struck the crossbar, but it was Bernardo Silva who opened the scoring for Portugal with a well-timed finish in the 26th minute.

Although Poland's Piotr Zielinski managed to pull one back in the 78th minute, an own goal by Jan Bednarek sealed the win for the Portuguese - putting them top of Group A1 on maximum points after the opening three matches.

Speaking after the match, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez explained why Ronaldo was substituted on 63 minutes despite being at the heart of his teams best play.

"The substitution was important because it’s part of us managing the players," he said.

"We have two games in 72 hours. So we took Cristiano off so he would be ready for the second game in Scotland.

"Diogo Jota came on for him and did very well. It’s important to use the players we have on the bench. Cristiano is in perfect shape for our next game."


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Ronaldo, who cemented himself as one of the best footballers in the modern era at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, is now showcasing his talents at Al Nassr.

Many would argue about the standard of Saudi Arabian football, but with a goal return of 72 strikes from 79 club appearances still helping the forward maintain his high standards when stepping into the national team set-up, perhaps the Sporting Lisbon youth graduate isn't quite done yet.

That's now three goals from three Nations League games this time out, and something that Scotland will need to be extremely wary of when the Portuguese visit Glasgow. 

Scotland currently sit bottom of the standings following their latest gut-wrenching defeat against Croatia

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